Saturday, January 9, 2010

Are you wardrobe challenged? If you have been feeling hopeless about the basic concepts of coordination, comfort and style, there is a hidden solution. The answer is buried just beneath the ever persistent need to purchase something newer and better. You have all the information, however it is unrealized because some of your conditioning has caused you to overlook an already existing natural balance. You can uncover this mystery with little effort.

First you must understand one basic mathematical concept -- ratio. Ratio is the quantitative relation between two amounts. For example; in my closet there are ten pairs of hiking shoes (and boots) with one pair of nice dress-up shoes. The ratio of hiking to dress-up is 10:1. In these modern times you probably have accumulated a large number of items in your closet. You have probably made some excellent purchases and those items are your favorites. Often you have been smart and economical with great deals you could not pass up. And then there are all those times you were impulsive or desperate and wound up with more garbage that never left the house. Let us not forget hand-me-downs, gifts, and stuff you bought because of one feature such as a new trendy color. So in the final analysis your ratio of "loves" to "dislikes" is something like 3:10 or worse. It is no surprise that each morning when you stand there staring at your entire wardrobe, you can be overtaken by a feeling of impending doom.

The main strategy is to change your ratio. Imagine opening the armoire, closet or cabinet drawer, and seeing 10 things you love and only 2 that are undesirable. You would have a ratio of 10:2 and in simplest terms (like reducing fractions) it is 5:1. You could easily make your selections. The ratio is the key. 3:2 would be better than 3:10. The goal is to get the "loves" side significantly larger than the "dislikes". Instead of shopping, what you need to do is get rid of the undesirables. Shopping will only make things worse. It will be like digging yourself deeper into a rut, especially if you have not taken the time to focus on what you truly migrate toward and what qualities you genuinely enjoy. The more stuff you can part with, the better. Sell it or give it away. Give yourself a rule such as, "if you have not worn it in the last two years, let someone else enjoy it."

It doesn't matter how many clothes you have as long as your ratio is good. When it's good there is a feeling of abundance, which can be very freeing. You will also develop a clearer sense of the things you do need to buy when the time comes to replace the torn and tattered remains of what could prove to be a delightfully frugal existence.